Jeremy Monga: Manchester City Hijack the Deal, Arsenal 'Definitely Out of the Race'
A reversal in the Jeremy Monga saga: Manchester City have launched a hijack for the Leicester prodigy, with Enzo Maresca leading the charge. Fabrizio Romano confirms Arsenal, who had been negotiating for weeks, are now out of the race.
A painful twist on a deal that looked close to done. According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have launched a hijack for Jeremy Monga, the 16-year-old Leicester City prodigy Arsenal had been negotiating for over the past few weeks — and the Gunners are now ‘definitely out of the race’.
What Is Confirmed
- Fabrizio Romano (X, July 2): club-to-club contacts underway between Manchester City and Leicester for Jeremy Monga, with the hijack starting ‘earlier today’.
- Romano is unambiguous: Arsenal are ‘definitely out of the race’.
- Enzo Maresca, who coached Monga at Leicester in 2023/24, is personally involved on City’s side to convince the player.
- The story has been corroborated by CaughtOffside, TeamTalk, FootballTransfers and Goal.com.
What Is Not Confirmed
- The fee Manchester City would be willing to offer.
- Any personal terms agreement between Monga and City.
- Whether Arsenal will attempt to re-enter the race or if the door is fully closed.
Context: A Deal Arsenal Thought They Had
Since late June, Arsenal had been negotiating with Leicester around a £10m fee for Monga, with personal terms reportedly agreed on the player’s side per both Ornstein and Romano. The July 10 deadline (Monga’s 17th birthday, when his professional contract with Leicester auto-activates) was piling pressure on all parties to move fast. It’s precisely in that window that Manchester City chose to strike, apparently taking advantage of the fact no club-to-club agreement had been formalised.
Sources & Reliability
| Source | Reliability | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrizio Romano (X) | VERY RELIABLE (90) | 02/07/2026 |
| CaughtOffside | VERY RELIABLE (corroborated) | 02/07/2026 |
| TeamTalk | RELIABLE | 03/07/2026 |
| FootballTransfers | RELIABLE | 03/07/2026 |
GG Analysis
It already felt uneasy seeing City circling — Maresca coming back for a player he knows never bodes well for the competition. The real issue for Arsenal is the timing: negotiating for weeks without locking in a club-to-club agreement on a heavily-courted 16-year-old left the door wide open. City didn’t hesitate to walk through it.
Nothing is signed on City’s side either — but with Romano closing the door this firmly on Arsenal, it would take a major turnaround for the Gunners to get back in the race.